The present invention relates to truck beds for automobile and equipment delivery, and more specifically to a truck bed which is divided into two areas and connected by a hinge. Even more specifically, the present invention is directed to such a truck bed with an improved post assembly or locking post design.
Distributors of construction related rental equipment are daily confronted with the task of reducing the cost of single unit equipment delivery to the end user. Many are forced to use large tractors and trailers or heavy duty trucks equipped with roll back beds, which have been purchased to haul the bulkiest equipment in their rental fleets, for delivery of very small units. This has made the single delivery of a small unit very costly to the distributor since he cannot pass on the full expense to his customer. To reduce costs, the distributor will sometimes load a large trailer with a number of pieces of equipment, each destined for delivery to a different site. By following this practice, only one customer will receive his order in a timely fashion. The rest will have to wait.
An alternative method requires that the distributor own one or several small trailers towed by heavy duty pick-up trucks to make these deliveries. Even a small truck-trailer combination is quite long and difficult to maneuver for all but a skilled operator, especially in crowded city traffic. Delivery on muddy construction sites with such truck-trailer combinations is extremely difficult, especially when backing up to a drop off site is required.
The present invention is intended to overcome these shortcomings.